Adapter for mounting machine guns



Nov. 4, 1941.

F. M. SALISBURY ADAPTER FOR-MOUNTING MACHINE GUNS Filed Jan. 20, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 'l 2 sheets-'sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2o, 1958 Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE accuses l ADAPTER Foa MoUN'rlNG MACHINE GUNS 'I Frank M. Salisbury, Kenmore, N. Y., assigner to Bell Aircraft Corp., Bullalo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 20, 1938, Serial No. 185,974 3 claims. (ci. ca -31) invention relates to mounting machine guns, and more particularly to an adapter, the frame of which is so constructed that small hydraulic shock dampeners may be eillciently used to absorb the recoil without materially increas- V ing the size or weight of the assembled gun.

At the present time, the energy exerted by the recoil of the gun'is usually dissipated by the use of spring dampeners, although hydraulic dampeners have also been used. To adequately take up the shock of the recoil oithe gun, both the spring and hydraulic dampeners, that are now in use, must be oi' such a large size that a heavy cumbersome frame must be provided thus adding materially to thev weight of the assembled gun. Furthermore, because of the size of these shock dampeners, a type of frame which is too large to be used in cramped quarters is required.

vMany of these shock dampeners also require the grips oi' the gun to be placed at a considerable distance from each other. 'I'his wide spacing of the gun grips prevents trained gunners from getting the i'eel oi the gun. l

One of the objects of this invention is to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an adapter for a machine gun which is pro- Detachably mounted on the frame is a back i plate, which carries a pair -of handlesto operate the gun, and a trigger actuating mechanism. This back plate is so formed and positioned in such a manner as to hold the back plate of the gun locked without theuse of additional latches. This method oi attaching the back plate to theA frame enables the operator to have easy access vided with a frame inl which the gun may move,

the outside dimensions of which are only slightly greater than the dimensions of the gun itself.

` Yet another object of this invention is to provide a frame for a machine gun in which it may move to permit the emcient operation of the hydraulic shock dampeners with which the frame is provided. l

A further object oi this invention is to provide a machine gun adapter which holds the back plate of the gun in locked position by means of a back plate detachably mounted on the frame, of the adapter, thereby eliminating the use of va secondary latch.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a frame ior a machine gun having the least possible weight.

. Inthe drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing a machine gun mounted in operative position in the frame.

Figure 2 is a bottomy plan view partly in section.

to the mechanism of the gun.

Because of the novel construction outlined above, this adapter permits accurate aiming and firing of the gun. This construction also permits the' gun to be mounted on any type of iixed or flexible mounting.l Furthermore, due to the dimensions of the frame. the gun may be used in cramped quarters such as encountered in airplane construction.

As shown in the drawings, this invention consists of a reciprocating gun, generally designated f l by the numeral l, which may be of any suitable type, but a 50 caliber aircraft gun is shown here for purposes of illustration. This machine gun is provided with an adapter, generally designated by the numeral 2, which consists o1' a frame 3, a back plate 4, and a pair oi' hydraulic shock dampeners 5.

The frame 3 consists oi a pair of horizontally extending parallel tubes 6 and 1. Partly inserted in the open end of tube 6 is the cylinder 8 of the shock dampener 5 which is rigidly attached to the tube 6 in any suitable manner, such as the nut and bolt arrangement shown at 9. The tube 6 is also slotted near its end as at l0 and is provided with ears Il on either side of this slot. By means oi a nutand bolt l2, the ears are drawn together thereby tightening this portion oi' the tube I securely around the cylinder 8.

'Ihe shock dampener 5 is provided with a plug I3 which may be removed to ll the device with oil. The cylinderl also carries a piston Il which terminates in an eye I5.

Tube l is similar to tube 6 and carries members which are similar to the ones just described, to which are attached identical numerals except that they are primed. y The gun' i is provided with a forward mount-l ing lug I6 to which is attached the piston rods I4 and I4 oi' the hydraulic shock dampeners i by means oi a bolt Il whlch'extends through the eyes l and l5' and the forward mounting lug i6 oi the gun. The gun l is also provided with a rear mount which consists of a pair of lugsv I8.

Mounted on the tubes C and 1 are downwardly extending slide tracks l@ and is' which may be attached to the tubes in any suitable manner, and which are provided 'with slots 2li and 20'. As best shown in Figure 6, the slots 20 and 2E' carry flanged slide blocks 22 and 22 which are adapted to slide in the said slide tracks. The gun is attached to the slide blocks 22 and 22' by means of a bolt 23, which also passes through the lugs I8.

The rearward ends of the tubes t and 1 carry right angle extensions 24 and 25 of a pair of handles 2S and 21, which are inserted in the tubes and held in place by means of wing nuts 29. These handles are connected by means of a transverse tube 3l. Attached to the transverse tube 3| is a ribbed back plate 35, in the center portion of which is a tube 36 having a closed end 31. The back plate 35 is supported at its top by means oi' extensions 38 which are rigidly secured to the top portions of the handles 26 and 21 respectively. 'I'he tube 36 carries the gun buier extension 4| which holds the back plate 42 in a closed position.

Pivotally attached to the plate, 35 as at 43, to occupy. virtually the conventional trigger position, is a trigger 44. The trigger Il is adapted to actuate a pivoted lever 45 which in turn Aac tuates the release mechanism, designated I6, to nre thegun. It is, of course, understood that, due to the recoil when the gunlis iii-ed, there will be a relative movement between the back plate 35 to which the trigger M is attached and the gunl to which thelever l! is attached. To minimize friction between the trigger and lever, there is provided a pair of rollers I1 and 48. The

roller 41 is attached-'to the trigger 44 and the roller Il attached to the back plate 35 immediately below it. When the trigger 4I is depressed, the roller 41 moves the lever 45 down against the roller 4l and as the gun lires the lever 4I reciprocates between these rollers with a minimum of friction.

Asbestshowninr'lgure 5, the adapter- 21s pivotally mounted on a vyoke il by means of two gusset-s Il and Il' which are carried by the tubes l and 1 respectively. These gussets are so located on the frame l that the gun is well balanced for operation. The yoke members Il terminato in any device suitable for enabling the guntobe easilyrotatcd such asthe collar 54 by which it may be attached to a gun mount.

In operation, the recoil ofthe gun l drives the piston rods 4Il and. 'I4' to the rear approximately one-half an inch, and the 'slide blocks 22 and 22j also travel rearwardly the same distance on the'slidetracks I9 and I9'.

The 'gun may be quickly dismounted or access' -tothebreechmaybequicklyandeasilyhadby removing the wing nuts 29 which secure the handles to the hollow tubes 0 and 1.`

From the above description, it is obvious that I have provided an adapter for a machine gun which is of unusually light construction, and the parts of which are so arranged that the external dimensions have been reduced to a minimum. The construction of the handles and the back plate have also been arranged so that they can be readily removed, and the interior of the gun inspected. As previously mentioned, the construction of the adapter materially reduces the weight of the assembled gun, and its small overall dimensions particularly adapt it for use in close quarters, such as are usually found in aircraft construction. By' placing small shock dampeners at the front of and close to the gun. there is no cumbersome structure on the rear of the gun to interfere with its operation.

While I have, for purposes of illustration, described one type of gun 'and adapter, it is obvious that any reciprocating gun could be used, and that many minor changes in the construction ofthe adapter could be made without departing from the spirit of this invention. I therefore wish only to be limited by the extent of the prior art and the scope of the apnded claims.

I claim:

l. In a supporting structure for machine guns, a cradle in which the machine gun is mounted for forward and rearward movement, the cradle comprising a pair v'of parallel hollow tubular members, shock dampeners carried by the forward ends of each tube member and operatively connected to the machine-gun whereby the recoil of the gun during firing will be absorbed, a pair of operating handles removably secured to the rearward ends of the hollow tubular members, a transversely extending tubular member connecting said handles, a back plate attached to the transversely extending tubular member and a guard for the gun buffer extension provided in the back plate.

2. In a supporting structure for machine guns, a cradlein which the gun is mounted for forward and rearward movement, the cradle comprising a pair of parallel hollow tubular members, shock dampeners carried by theV forward end of each tube member and operatively connected to the machine gun whereby the recoil of the gun during firing will be absorbed, a sleeve slidably mounted in the rearward end of each tubular member. means to lock each sleeve in each tubular member, a. vertical handle carried by the free end of each sleeve, a transversely extending tube conby the recoil of the machine gun during firing will be absorbed, a sleeve slidably mounted in the rearward end of each tubular member, means to lock each sleeve in each tubular member, a vertical handle carried by the i'ree end of each sleeve member, a transverse member connecting` the sleeves adjacent to the vertical handles, a back plate attached at its lower end to the transverse member, brackets securing the upper end of the back plate to the upper end of each handle, and a guard forthe gun buil'er extension provided in the back plate between the handles.

FRANK M. SALISBURY. 

